Javi Sanchez, MD Student

I grew up in a suburb in Houston, TX, but I consider myself a native Houstonian. I am a proud child of Mexican immigrants, which has shaped me to be appreciative of my cultural background and upholding my bilingualism. My father always encouraged me to study hard and work hard. He motivated me to be a first-generation high school graduate, and I credit my blue collar roots with my determination towards medicine.

In the past four years, I lived in Boston completing a master’s degree and working as a clinical research coordinator at Boston Medical Center (BMC). While at BMC, my main role was to enroll and manage the study participants in vaccine trials, most of my efforts were on the Pfizer mRNA COVID19 vaccine studies, in adult and pediatric populations.

I was convinced during Second Look that Yale School of Medicine (YSM) was a great fit for me. This was due to a combination of several factors. First, the Yale System encourages adult learning, which to me means that I am learning for a career and not for an examination. The Yale System also allows for one to miss a non-mandatory lecture in order to partake in an extracurricular activity of your choice—in other words, great flexibility. Secondly, the people (faculty and students) I have met since Second Look have been pleasant individuals with passion for their interests and compassion for others. These are excellent qualities to be around when training to be a future physician! Finally, YSM felt like a school that I could call home for the next three years, and I am referring to an environment where collaboration and work-life balance are highly encouraged. Students here seem happy.

Since I am in the pre-clerkship portion of the curriculum, I wake up around 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m., for my classes at 8 a.m. From 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., I will be in class (which includes lectures or team-based learning). For lunch, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., I am either at lunch with classmates at Cafe Med or attending a meeting (including Medical Student Council meetings, grand rounds, or various presentations that pop up). From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., there are three curricular activities which include: clinicals or other longitudinal courses. If it’s a day that we don’t have curricular activities in the afternoon, I use this time to study and read ahead. After 4 p.m., my schedule is quite varied alternating from any of the following: studying at Sterling Hall or Sterling Memorial Library, optional bioethics seminars, attending interest group dinners, book club, and FaceTiming my friends from home.

I live in the New Haven Towers area, which is about a five to seven minute walk to most parts of the medical school campus and Yale New Haven Hospital. It is a very convenient walk, for those who like to be on campus early in the morning.

One of my favorite things to do is explore the Yale campus. The school has impressive architecture which gives me nostalgia to my undergraduate days when I would explore the campus. I have also enjoyed the diversity of restaurants near the medical school campus. There’s great Mexican and Cuban food nearby, and the Italian restaurants near Wooster Square definitely need to be explored. Doing these things with my friends has been the best part.

This may sound cliche, but really take the time to enjoy your time before medical school. This career is an intense, yet incredible endeavor, and you want to make sure that you put your best foot forward as you begin your training. Also, open your mind to possibilities. Don’t be afraid to try something new, whether it’s an interest that is not mainstream or trying a new type of role which pushes you out of your comfort zone. Now is the time to inject some creativity into your training.

Finally: READ, READ, and READ!